Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared of Ebola

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Summary

Protect yourself from the bigger threat of cold and flu with these safety and immune-boosting tips.

News reports of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the first diagnoses in the United States have many people on edge. But cold and flu season poses a much closer threat in the Seattle area – and boosting your immune system can help with those.

“While Ebola is a very serious disease, there is no need to panic,” says Jamey Wallace, ND, MSEE, the chief medical officer at Bastyr Center for Natural Health, the teaching clinic of Bastyr University. “People who have contracted the disease generally had significant exposure to body fluids and in some cases did not use appropriate protective equipment. Following common sense safety precautions (like those listed below) will help protect you from getting Ebola.”

Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or through the eyes, nose, or mouth) with:

Blood and body fluids (urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola.

Objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola.

Protect Yourself From Ebola

There is no FDA-approved vaccine available for Ebola. Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, but they have not been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.

DO wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Do NOT touch the blood or body fluids (like urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat, and semen) of people who are sick.

Do NOT handle items that may have come in contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids, like clothes, bedding, needles, or medical equipment.

Do NOT touch the body of someone who has died of Ebola.

Boost Your Immune System

Although the risk is low that someone infected with Ebola will show up at Bastyr Center for Natural Health, the clinic is working closely with Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Bastyr Center has a triage protocol in place aligned with CDC guidelines and will work directly with Public Health in the event that we suspect a patient has been exposed to Ebola,” Dr. Wallace says.